Roboquad Redux

leversofpower

USA
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The Wowee Roboquad had a labotomy and now it's getting the hack de jour put to it... No remotes, IR codes, waiting, versions, millisecond delay or anything wowee digital in situ...

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Synthiam
#1  

Brilliant !

Dude, you're always coming up with wicked ideas. I like this one!

#2  

Thanks! The EZ is good stuff! I'm finding that writing finance and investment software day after day is such a waste of my time but it pays the bills. Robots on the other hand, now there's something interesting to do with a computer!

#5  

whaouu! inpressive. your frankenquad is alive. me i've discovered ez-b just Last week. i think i'll wait for DJ's solution for my first project with my roboquad. yesterday, i had a look at the fonctionnalités of programming the ez-b. i Will Watch your next évolution of your walking lobotomised roboquad. see you ++

#6  

The weird crab gait the robot has does make movement with custom script difficult I bet! I would be tempted to give it two or maybe 3 DOF legs to make movement smoother. Very cool man very cool. - J Starnes

#7  

True. The Roboquad's drive train is unusual because it uses a cam system and bump switch for rotational feed back. Which has got me wondering about if it would be possible to use a flex sensor and a cam to get more precise feedback. It's got about 30 degrees of leg rotation that triggers a digital on. So for the rest of the 310 degrees you don't really know what position the leg is in.

So now that I've freed it from the Wowee micro-controller I'm thinking I'm gonna bump the motors from 6v to 9V or 12v. The thing would be really fun if it had twice the movement speed. The next video should be more interesting... Maybe I'll need one of those break-dancing floors from the 80's....

Frankenquad... I like it. Consider it named!

#8  

And I was just gonna name him Frank lol. Yes you can run them at 12 volts. Have you maybe considered swapping the motors for high torque servos. You would have 255 positions and then you don't need the h bridges. You could keep it at 6 volts then as well.

#9  

In the long run of this project the additional accuracy of a servo could benefit you. You might be able to get away with standard servos but I would want better like the high torque servos in the web store. Anyways thank you for showing the video. Its awesome! - Josh

#10  

Good idea...actually the best idea. But I'm taking the low road and punishing myself with DC motors. For some numskull reason I have a particular fondness for DC motors. Although I have been pondering slapping a trim-pot on top of the motor, which would make a frankenservo. Not sure yet, I may try and try some combination of scripting, timing and using a voltage monitor on the battery that powers the motors. It's the curse of to many ideas just not sure which one to go with... yet.

#11  

Ha ha ,I understand man , I always want to push the level of rediculous at times and going with the easy way sometimes doesn't do the trick;) - Josh